All computer systems include a non-volatile memory disposed on the motherboard containing a set of instructions to be executed by the CPU to initialize the start-up or “boot” process of the system. This non-volatile memory, and the instructions it stores, commonly referred to as the BIOS, is coupled to another memory device, commonly referred to as the CMOS, which stores configuration data that is read by the CPU, via BIOS instructions, to inform the boot process with respect to setup parameters of the system. For example, the configuration data stored in CMOS includes data with respect to attached peripherals such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and which drive or other storage device contains the operating system to boot. Additionally, CMOS includes a real-time clock (RTC) that maintains date and time information. Configuration data stored in the CMOS can be edited by a user, to accommodate a different system configuration, such as the drive order with respect to the operating system to boot. The CMOS memory is volatile, and a battery installed on the motherboard preserves the data stored in the CMOS when the computer system is powered down. When the CMOS battery eventually fails, the configuration data reverts to a set of default values, and any user-modified values are lost. Consequently, after replacing the battery, on boot of the system and early in the boot process, any configuration data that had previously been modified must be manually re-entered via the BIOS setup routine, for example. This represents a maintenance cost in a commercial or industrial information technology environment, and at least an inconvenience in a single-user environment. Thus, a BIOS system having a non-volatile memory device that can maintain the configuration data without the need for a backup battery while maintaining compatibility with off-the-shelf computer system architectures is advantageous.